Alexandria is following the lead of other municipalities in the area by extending parking meter hours.

In Old Town you find great restaurants, cool history and horrible parking. As of July 1, you’ll find metered parking extended to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Current parking meter hours are from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

In Carlyle, where parking meter hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, metered parking from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday will be added.

Richard Baier, who leads the transportation division for the city, said the recommendation for the extended hours came from a group of business owners and residents. They hope it will promote parking turnover, making more on-street parking spaces available to short-term visitors, and encourage long-term parking in garages and more use of public transportation.

Restaurant owners’ perspective is if you have a bunch of empty table and no street parking for potential customers, it’s bad for business.